The Science Behind Nooni

Nooni blends seven research-backed ingredients studied for their effects on brain health, mood, stress, skin, and metabolic resilience. Below you’ll find a concise, technical summary of the evidence for each, plus a short recap in plain language.

Note: These studies look at isolated ingredients at specific doses and in specific populations. Nooni does not claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease. We formulate to be aligned with the research landscape, not to replace medical treatment.

Why Mushrooms at all?

Across species, medicinal mushrooms are unusually rich in beta-glucans, terpenoids, and complex polysaccharides that influence immunity, inflammation, and the brain’s plasticity pathways (including NGF and BDNF). A recent lifespan-wide review of human data reports that mushroom consumption is generally associated with better cognition and mood in both healthy and at-risk populations, with most interventional work focused on Lion’s Mane.

Emerging trials using multi-mushroom extract blends (for example, combinations of Reishi, Lion’s Mane and other species) in stressed adults report improvements in perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep quality, suggesting that stacking mushrooms can create synergistic effects rather than just additive ones.

Plain recap: Mushrooms are not just “superfoods” by marketing; they carry specific molecules that talk to the immune system and brain. Human data is still growing, but the pattern is clear enough that we’re comfortable being unapologetically mushroom-heavy.

Key references:

  • Cha S, Bell I. A review of the effects of mushrooms on mood and neurocognitive health across the lifespan. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2024. PubMed
  • Shan J, et al. Study protocol: The efficacy of mushroom to prevent cognitive impairment in high-risk older adults. Front Aging Neurosci. 2025. Full text
  • Uffelman CN, et al. Effects of consuming white button and oyster mushrooms within a Mediterranean-style diet on brain health indexes. Foods. 2024. Full text

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Technical overview

  • Cognition & mild cognitive impairment: A classic double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by Mori et al. (2009, Phytotherapy Research) in adults with mild cognitive impairment used 3 g/day of Lion’s Mane for 16 weeks. The active group showed significantly improved cognitive test scores versus placebo, which regressed after the supplement was discontinued.
  • Alzheimer’s & neurodegeneration: A pilot double-blind trial with erinacine-A–enriched Lion’s Mane mycelia (Li et al., 2020) in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease found better MMSE scores, improved daily living activities and preserved white-matter integrity over 49 weeks versus placebo.
  • Healthy young adults & stress: In healthy adults (18–45 years), 1.8 g/day Lion’s Mane for 28 days has been shown to acutely improve performance on a Stroop task (within 60 minutes of dosing) and trend towards reduced perceived stress scores over four weeks in double-blind designs.
  • Mechanisms (NGF, BDNF): Lion’s Mane contains hericenones and erinacines, small molecules capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier. In cell and animal models they increase nerve growth factor (NGF) and modulate pro–brain-derived neurotrophic factor (pro-BDNF). Human work reports higher circulating pro-BDNF in parallel with mood and sleep improvements in overweight adults.

Plain recap: Lion’s Mane is the mushroom most strongly linked to brain health in the scientific literature. It helps the brain’s own growth and repair systems (NGF/BDNF), and human trials show signals for sharper thinking and calmer mood. If you had to pick one mushroom for cognition, this would be it.

Key references:

  • Mori K, et al. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment. Phytother Res. 2009. PubMed
  • Li IC, et al. Prevention of early Alzheimer’s disease by erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelia. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020. PubMed
  • Docherty S, et al. The acute and chronic effects of lion’s mane mushroom on cognitive function and stress in young adults. Nutrients. 2023. PubMed
  • Vigna L, et al. Hericium erinaceus improves mood and sleep disorders in patients affected by overweight or obesity: role of pro-BDNF and BDNF. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019. Full text

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)

Technical overview

  • Immune modulation & clinical outcomes: A 2025 GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials with Reishi supplementation (Jafari et al., 2025) found modest but significant improvements in selected health indices (e.g. BMI, some antioxidant markers and quality-of-life scores) across healthy, at-risk, and clinical populations, consistent with immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory activity.
  • Sleep & gut–brain axis (preclinical): Animal studies show that acidic fractions of Reishi extracts shorten sleep latency and prolong sleep duration, partly via serotonin-related signalling in the hypothalamus and via changes in gut microbiota composition. Reishi spore extracts improve sleep disturbances and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease models.
  • Antioxidant & immune mechanisms: NCBI-reviewed monographs highlight Reishi polysaccharides and triterpenes as modulators of natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, and oxidative stress pathways, increasing antioxidant capacity and protecting DNA from oxidative damage in preclinical studies.

Plain recap: Reishi is your “system balancer.” It interacts with immune and inflammatory pathways and shows promising effects on sleep and overall resilience in early studies. Where Lion’s Mane is about focus and growth, Reishi is about buffering and recovery.

Key references:

  • Jafari A, et al. The nutritional significance of Ganoderma lucidum on human health: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Food Sci Nutr. 2025. Full text
  • Yao C, et al. Ganoderma lucidum promotes sleep through a gut microbiota-dependent and serotonin-involved pathway in mice. Sci Rep. 2021. Full text
  • Qin Y, et al. Ganoderma lucidum spore extract improves sleep disturbances in a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. Front Pharmacol. 2024. Full text
  • Wachtel-Galor S, Benzie IFF. Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi): a medicinal mushroom. In: Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2011. NCBI Bookshelf

Tremella (Tremella fuciformis)

Technical overview

  • Polysaccharide profile: Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPs) are high–molecular weight heteropolysaccharides with strong water-binding and film-forming properties. A 2025 review (Li et al.) summarises evidence that TFPs have immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-hyperlipidemic activity in preclinical models, positioning them as promising functional food ingredients.
  • Skin and photoageing: In skin cell models, TFPs protect against UV-induced damage by regulating thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) and thioredoxin reductase 2 (TRXR2), crucial components of cellular redox control and mitochondrial integrity. This translates into less oxidative damage and better moisture retention at the cellular level.

Plain recap: Tremella is often called the “beauty mushroom” for good reason. Its polysaccharides lock in water and support the skin’s antioxidant defences, while its metabolic effects make it useful as a systemic hydration and protection ally, not just a cosmetic ingredient.

Key references:

  • Li S, et al. Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis: isolation, structures, bioactivities and application. Front Nutr. 2025. Full text
  • Lin M, et al. Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides alleviates UV-provoked skin cell damage via regulation of thioredoxin interacting protein and thioredoxin reductase 2. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2023. PubMed

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

Technical overview

  • Phytochemical richness: Chaga is rich in polysaccharides, triterpenoids, phenolic compounds, and melanin. A 2024 Heliyon review (Camilleri et al.) describes its extracts as exhibiting potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and immunomodulating activities in cell and animal models.
  • Oxidative stress & inflammation: A 2025 review in Current Issues in Molecular Biology highlights Chaga’s strong free-radical–scavenging activity and suppression of pro-inflammatory signalling (e.g., NF-κB pathways), relevant to cognitive ageing, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic dysfunction.

Plain recap: Chaga is like a concentrated knot of antioxidant capacity. Most of the data are preclinical, but they all point in the same direction: less oxidative damage and quieter inflammatory signalling—the kind of background “noise” you want lower for long-term brain and body health.

Key references:

  • Camilleri E, et al. A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (chaga) mushrooms. Heliyon. 2024. PubMed
  • Wang Y, et al. Natural products and health care functions of Inonotus obliquus. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2025. Full text

Moringa (Moringa oleifera)

Technical overview

  • Broad pharmacology: A 2023 comprehensive review (Pareek et al., Molecules) describes Moringa as having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective effects across a range of in vitro and in vivo models. Its leaves are particularly rich in vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and polyphenols.
  • Metabolic health & blood markers: Recent narrative and systematic reviews focused on metabolic syndrome conclude that Moringa leaf and seed extracts can reduce fasting blood glucose, improve lipid profiles, and lower blood pressure in several small-scale clinical trials, though larger, more rigorous RCTs are still needed.

Plain recap: If you tried to design a “multivitamin tree,” you’d get something close to Moringa. It’s nutrient dense and shows early human data for improving blood sugar, lipids, and inflammatory markers. We use it as a nutrient and antioxidant backbone that supports what the mushrooms are doing.

Key references:

  • Pareek A, et al. Moringa oleifera: an updated comprehensive review of its pharmacological activities, ethnomedicinal, phytopharmaceutical formulation, clinical, phytochemical and toxicological aspects. Molecules. 2023. Full text
  • Thanikachalam PV, et al. Therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera Lam. in metabolic syndrome. Asian Pac Trop Biomed. 2025. Journal page

Maca (Lepidium meyenii)

Technical overview

  • Sexual function & mood: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (Shin et al., 2010) concluded that Maca can improve sexual desire and function in both healthy individuals and those with sexual dysfunction, albeit with limited sample sizes.
  • Bioactive compounds: A 2024 comprehensive pharmacology review (Ulloa del Carpio et al., Front Pharmacol) details Maca’s unique macamides, macaenes, glucosinolates, and polyphenols, summarizing evidence for improvements in sexual function, fertility parameters, mood, and exercise performance, largely via endocrine and endocannabinoid-related pathways plus antioxidant effects.
  • Performance & fatigue: Exercise-focused RCTs and recent meta-analytic work show that Maca supplementation can improve time-trial performance, grip strength and reduce fatigue, particularly in active adults, with dose–response effects linked to macamides.

Plain recap: Maca is not a quick stimulant. It works slowly, over weeks, nudging stress and hormone pathways toward balance. In human trials, that shows up as better energy, better mood, and better sexual well-being.

Key references:

  • Shin BC, et al. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010. Full text
  • Ulloa del Carpio N, et al. Lepidium meyenii: a comprehensive review of the effects of maca. Front Pharmacol. 2024. Full text
  • Huerta Ojeda Á, et al. Effects of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on physical performance in animals and humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2024. PubMed

MCTs (Medium-Chain Triglycerides)

Technical overview

  • Ketone production & brain fuel: Medium-chain triglycerides are rapidly absorbed and transported to the liver, where they are converted into ketone bodies (such as beta-hydroxybutyrate). A 2022 narrative review (Shcherbakova et al., Front Nutr) summarises evidence that MCT doses up to ~1 g/kg bodyweight significantly raise circulating ketone levels even without carbohydrate restriction.
  • Cognitive performance: A meta-analysis (Avgerinos et al., 2020) of randomized trials concluded that MCT supplementation can induce mild ketosis and may improve cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, especially in APOE ε4-negative individuals.
  • Context from ketogenic diet trials: A 2024 meta-analysis (Rong et al.) found that ketogenic diets, often implemented with MCT-based protocols, improved global cognition and mental state scores in Alzheimer’s patients versus control diets.

Plain recap: MCTs are fast-burning fats that your body quickly turns into ketones—a clean, efficient fuel for the brain. When glucose metabolism is under pressure (ageing, stress, sleep loss), ketones from MCTs can help keep cognition online.

Key references:

  • Shcherbakova K, et al. Supplementation of regular diet with medium-chain triglycerides for procognitive effects: a narrative review. Front Nutr. 2022. Full text
  • Avgerinos KI, et al. Medium chain triglycerides induce mild ketosis and may improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev. 2020. PubMed
  • Rong L, et al. Effects of ketogenic diet on cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Nutr. 2024. PubMed

How It All Fits Together in Nooni

No single ingredient is a magic bullet. The rationale behind Nooni is to stack mechanisms that the research suggests are complementary:

  • Lion’s Mane + MCTs → brain energy, neuroplasticity pathways, sharper cognition and mood.
  • Reishi + Chaga + Tremella → immune balance, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory backbone, better sleep and a healthier skin environment.
  • Moringa + Maca → nutrient density, metabolic support, and long-term energy and mood resilience.

We are bullish on mushrooms because the data – while still emerging – consistently point in the same direction: better stress handling, better brain function, and better long-term resilience when they are used intelligently and consistently, alongside a healthy lifestyle.